The invention relates to a bumper for motor vehicles with a connection to a bumper protective strip and the combination of the bumper and bumper protective strip, in which the bumper protective strip is tightly secured to the bumper in a final assembly. The invention relates further to a process for the painting of a bumper and a bumper protective strip, in which the bumper and the bumper protective strip are painted with the same color.
Conventional bumper, bumper protective strips, combinations of the two, as well as processes for the painting of the combination are generally designed so that, because the connector used for the joining of the bumper and the bumper protective strip does not permit the nondestructive separation of the bumper and the bumper protective strip after painting, the bumper and bumper protective strips are generally painted in separate operations. As a result, besides the necessity of painting lines having different supports for each of the bumper and the bumper protective strip, it is relatively expensive and difficult to assure the same color for both the bumper and bumper protective strip pair that are to be joined in the final assembly of a motor vehicle.
Underlying the invention is the problem of giving the bumper, the bumper protective strip, and the combination of the bumper and the bumper protective strip, as well as a process for the painting of the combination thereof, the painting of the bumper and the bumper protective strip with exactly the same color at a low cost.
This problem is solved according to the subject invention in a bumper of the type mentioned at the outset, wherein the bumper is equipped with a plurality of holding or spacing members, so that the bumper protective strip can be detachably fastened in a spaced manner to the bumper.
This problem is solved according to the invention, in a combination with a bumper and a bumper protective strip and the combination thereof, wherein the bumper and the bumper protective strip are detachably fastened to the bumper by a plurality of holding members at an initially greater spacing than when finally and permanently attached.
This problem is solved according to the invention in the combination of a bumper and with a bumper protective strip of the type mentioned at the outset, by the means that the bumper and the bumper protective strip have a holding device, with which the bumper protective strip may be detachably fastened in a spaced manner to the bumper at a greater distance from the bumper with respect to the final position of the bumper protection strip.
This problem is solved according to the invention in a process for the painting of a bumper and with a bumper protective strip combination by a procedure in which the bumper and the bumper protective strip are painted as a unit, with one spaced from the other by a spacing member so that the bumper as well as the bumper protective strip are painted together. After painting, the spacing member is removed and the respective parts are joined together to form the finished product.
With the bumper, the bumper protective strip, the combination of a bumper and with a bumper protective strip, as well as the process for painting the combination of the bumper and the bumper protective strip according to the invention, the painting of the bumper and of the bumper protective strip positioned in a spaced relationship makes a single painting operation possible, in which, for one thing, by reason of the identical color composition as well as of the environmental conditions of the painting process common, the bumper and the allocated bumper protective strip will have exactly the same color and, further, by shielding bumper areas which do not need to be painted, paint can be saved to a not-inappreciable degree.
Further, because of the positionability of the bumper protective strip spaced from the bumper there is the advantage that the mounting of accessory parts, such as ornamental strips, to be placed between the bumper protective strip and the bumper is simplified.
With the bumper according to the invention it is expedient that the arresting means have safety means connected with the bumper, such as, for example tongue-type or lash-type parts cooperating with a bumper protective strip, in which system the safety means have at their disposable safety parts detachably connectable with the bumper and/or a bumper protective strip.
With the bumper protective strip according to the invention it is expedient that the holding member have safety member connected with the bumper protective strip, such as, for example, tongue-type or lash-type parts cooperating with a bumper, in which system the safety members have safety parts detachably connectable with the bumper protective strip and/or a bumper.
In the combination of the subject invention, the holding member has first safety members connected with the bumper, in which the first safety members have safety parts detachably connectable with the bumper and/or the bumper protective strip. Additionally or alternatively with the combination of the subject invention the holding members have a second safety members connected with the bumper protective strip, in which case the second safety members have second safety parts detachably connectable with the bumper protective strip and/or the bumper.
In the above embodiment of the combination of the subject invention with the first safety members and with the second safety members, the first safety parts, and the second safety parts are preferably identical.
In the last mentioned embodiment of the bumper, the bumper protective strip or of the combination of the bumper and the bumper protective strip, the safety members, in a manner advantageous in manufacturing technology, stand advantageously, for example as spray-on parts directly in connection with the bumper or with the bumper protective means, and a safety place for connection to a hand grip for the reciprocal fastening of the bumper and the bumper protective strip in spaced relationship.
In a further embodiment of the subject invention it is provided that for the formation of the connecting means, the bumper has a number of penetration recesses for the insertion of stop tongues with stop lugs formed on the bumper protective strip in which system the first safety member have in the zone of the penetration recesses tongues formed on the side away from the bumper protective strip; further the first safety parts may be connected with the tongues in such manner that the penetration recesses are secured against the full insertion of the rest lugs.
Furthermore, the second safety member may have at their disposal security tongues formed as an extension of the stop tongues, which second safety parts may be connected with the safety tongues on emergence from the penetration recesses.
With these further developments there is a particularly simple releasable connection of the bumper and bumper protective strips spaced, yet securely connected to the bumper and the bumper protective strip.
In the interest of a stable yet releasable connection of the bumper and the bumper protective strip in each embodiment of the subject invention, the safety parts may be connected both with the tongues and also with the safety tongues.
In a preferred form of the safety member, the safety parts may be formed as H-shaped safety clamps with two grip shanks, two clamp shanks with end side clamp lugs, and a connecting bridge. Further, the safety clamps, the tongues and the security tongues may be constructed so that the tongues or the safety tongues can be gripped by the clamp lugs. For an especially dependable grip of the safety clamps on the bumper protective strip security recesses are formed on the safety tongues into which the clamp shanks can be inserted.
In order to prevent the inadvertent locking of stop tongues of the security means, the security clamps can be constructed so that when the safety clamps are placed on the tongues, the connecting bridges can prevent the rest tongues from penetrating through to the recesses. To prevent the safety clamps from slipping out of the tongues, the tongues have a stop lug on their ends facing away from the bumper.
If a further transport of the painted combination of the subject invention is required with the process of the subject invention, the bumper and the bumper protective strip may be secured in position on the bumper and/or the bumper protective strip in their adjacent arrangement with the spacing between these elements. For the achievement of particularly good painting results, that the spacing between the bumper and the bumper protective strip should be in the range from about 1 millimeter to about 20 millimeters.